The Royal Society was forced yesterday to defend its decision to elect the Duke of York as a royal fellow after criticism from some of the organisation’s most senior members.
Lord May of Oxford, a former president, said he was dismayed by the handling of the vote, which led to Prince Andrew’s election. Others said that the organisation’s links with royals were outdated.
Professor David Colquhoun, a pharmacologist at University College London and a Royal Society fellow who is leading the rebellion, said that Prince Andrew’s “over-colourful” background made his appointment a cause for alarm.
The Royal Society responded saying that Prince Andrew had a track record of commitment to British science. Last year he hosted several events on behalf of the Royal Society to